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Whatever the type of holiday, whether it’s a five-star luxury beach villa or a cosy bed & breakfast in the countryside, it’s a truth universally acknowledged that travel makes us happy.
However, a global research commissioned by Booking.com has revealed that travel gives us such an emotional boost, we consider planning and going away on holiday more vital for our happiness than other big life occasions, such as our own wedding day (49%), going on a date with your partner (51%), landing a new job (50%), getting engaged (45%) and even having a baby (29%). Additionally, 77% say they book a holiday just when they’re in need of a happiness boost.
The research, which questioned 17,000 people from 17 countries, has found that for the majority, travel experiences, anything from backpacking, to boutique B&B breaks, family villa holidays or even exotic and remote retreats, brings more lasting happiness than material things (70%). Which explains why most people (56%) prioritise holidays over possessions such as clothes, jewellery and gadgets while almost half (48%) rank travel over home improvements.
The emotional lift that travels brings hits at each stage of the travel process from planning, through booking to actually going on holiday. And it’s the planning stages that give the most immediate boosts in happiness, with nearly three-quarters of people (72%) saying they get a kick of excitement just from researching where to go on holiday. Over half (56%) agree they then feel happiest when booking their holiday, underlining the importance of instant booking when it comes to securing an ideal stay.
Shawn Achor, BA, MA, Harvard, one of the world’s leading experts on happiness and speaker known for his advocacy of positive psychology explains:
“The data from this new Booking.com study highlights how there is a very significant correlation between enjoying the booking experience, and happiness during the actual trip – meaning that one of the best predictors of a happy vacation is to have an enjoyable booking process. Travel planned well and instantly booked with ease can dramatically improve your happiness, no matter what type of stay and trip you seek.”
In fact, we are so addicted to planning and booking our trips, that over a third admit to researching holidays months in advance (35%), with an eager 5% planning over a year in advance, which is then followed by the anticipation of what’s to come. Between booking and actually travelling, over a third admit to chasing a happiness boost by thinking about their holiday one or more times a day (39%). In preparation, eight out of ten (80%) find happiness in looking at a map and researching places to visit, and over half like planning and shopping for their holiday wardrobe (52%). Almost eight out of 10 people (79%) say scrolling through pictures of destinations and beautiful accommodations – from apartments to villas, hotels and B&Bs – help them to feel happy in the run up to their holiday and another six out of ten (61%) enjoy continuing to read reviews of the accommodation they’ve just booked.
Yet, all the anticipation in the world can’t replace the happiness of actually being on holiday with six out of ten (62%) feeling a surge of happiness when they set their out of office and leave work. Almost nine out of ten (87%) say it’s the first day of a holiday and seeing their accommodation for the first time (83%) that are the happiest holiday moments. From then on, 70% say they have the best time on holiday when they can make themselves at home wherever they stay. Over two-thirds find happiness when staying in a hotel, hostel or villa (67%), and another third feel happiest staying in an apartment or home with local residents (33%).
Sourse: travelnewsdigest.in
